COLUMBUS, Indiana – Local health officials are concerned about pandemic fatigue and a “false sense of security” among residents as hospitalizations and infection rates begin to drop from the extremely high levels seen during the peak of winter due to more cases of the UK variant viruses are being detected in Indiana.
A total of 163 Bartholomew County residents tested positive for COVID-19 from February 12 to 18, down from 178 the previous week, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
By comparison, 587 residents of Bartholomew County tested positive for COVID-19 in the week ending November 22 and 390 in the week ending January 10.
Metrics from the COVID-19 Community Task Force also show a decline in the weekly per capita positivity rate in the county dropping to 25.4 per 100,000 residents on Wednesday, from 106.4 per 100,000 on November 20 and 60, 7 on January 13.
In addition, there were 11 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Columbus Regional Health last Wednesday, compared with 59 in early December, the hospital said.
While many metrics are tending to drop in Bartholomew County, hospitalization and positivity rates are still higher than in early autumn, including Wednesday’s weekly per capita positivity, which was still more than triple the rate of 6.8 per 100,000 residents on September 2.
The hospital spent 45 consecutive days, with less than 10 hospitalizations, from August 27 to October 10.
Dr Slade Crowder, CRH’s vice president of medical corporate operations, said he is concerned about “COVID fatigue” and the “logical but incorrect assumption that we are out of danger”.
“While trends are falling, we are falling from very high peaks,” said Crowder. “… We still have a large community spread across Bartholomew County, and it’s easy to lose sight when we had such a high peak. It is easy to have a false sense of security that things are returning to normal. “
For more information on this story, consult the Sunday Republic.